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What to do with a beater Electra Bass Precision

G

girhen

Mar 20, 2012
39
18
#1
My friend's mom works for a realty company and cleaned out a home a few years ago. In the attic was a bass (sad place, I know). She was going to throw it away, but he gave it to me as a bass to play when I came back from school.

It's a mess. I'm sure it was once good, but the metal parts are dull and in the early stages of corrosion. The finish is messed up in many places. Some areas are starting to eat at the wood. It needs new pots. It's action is pretty, only needs a minor adjustment to get buzz out of the first 2-3 frets. But that doesn't matter with everything else going on.

I'd be surprised if I could get someone to drop $20 on it. So why not have some fun? Care to share some ideas? So far, I've considered:

*EDIT* I left these here to avoid confusion, but I have been persuaded to not touch this bass like that. Just the good touch. Two fingers and my hands on the neck. Maybe slap it. Or pick at it. *EDIT*

* Painting the body gold.

* Paint it green bursting into black, or black into green.

* Paint it translucent candy apple red

* Paint it all black, including fretboard and hardware, then green inlays, pickups, and hardware tops and tuners (Peter Steele style P-bass)

* Cutting it to look like an axe and painting it as such

* Cutting it into a teardrop body

* Making the headstock look like...well, cutting a slit in the rounded part and making a couple rounded curves on the side opposite of the machine heads. Paint 'creatively'.

* Doing something similar as above, but making the rounded parts on the bass body and cutting the headstock's extra side a bit to narrow it. Paint 'creatively'.

Any thoughts?

*EDIT* Again, this bass has been saved from cutting and painting *EDIT*

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#3
Why don't you clean it up and set it up the best you can. Then visit your church , or music store, or local school. I'm sure you would make a kid who cannot afford an instrument very happy. Just sayin.
 
#4
I'd leave it alone, except for getting a Fender threaded saddle bridge for less than $30 on ebay, and some new strings.

It needs a tuner bushing.

I think that's a DiMarzio.

NICE bass. Don't **** it up. It has MOJO. :)

Edit: It looks like a set of tuners is in order too. If those are Fender tuners you could sell them and be $ ahead.
 
#5
Wow, I agree with the others, don't paint it or cut it up. I would restore it as is. That headstock logo is really a cool gem from a bygone era. I would love to have a bass like that to clean up. Just crossing my fingers for you that the neck is in decent shape and that the truss rod is working and will adjust to where you want it to be.

That would be a really fun bass to gig! :)
 
#6
I had noticed it has the Fender headstock and everything, and that the headstock is supposed to be trademarked. Some other have more pointed horns and a different headstock.

If cleaned up for grime but no parts were actually replaced, any idea what this thing is actually worth to someone interested in a perfect vintage Fender clone? I mean, the early 80s Electra P's on ebay have been lawsuit changed, so this is probably 70s tech.

But really, no matter what fun I had with it if I didn't sell it to someone who likes vintage pieces to restore, I'd actually want to replace the pots at some point and use her as a backup, not just mess her up and trash her. I have a 4 string Schecter Stargazer and a 5 string Hellraiser, but a backup 4 string that doesn't need batteries would be good.
 
#8
Wanted to add that the dimarzio appears to be wired with a coil tap switch. I'll also vote for the cleanup only route.

I was under the impression that electra was manufactured in Japan by the same company that made Ibanez. I could be way wrong on that though.
 
#10
"Made in Japan" (on the back plate) is the only thing I see on this other than "Electra electric bass" (on the headstock). There's no serial number or date on it. There could be one on the neck inside the body, but I've always been nervous about removing a bass's neck.

Right now, the switch doesn't do much (old electronics). It works on one mode, but I only get sporadic sound from it if I jiggle the knobs after using the switch. As it is, it's basically a kill switch.
 
#12
Put it back in the attic for another 20 years.
Or ... 1st, Make sure the neck is usable and that the truss rod works. The tuners are obviously all wrong, misaligned/overlaping etc., replace them. Sort out the wiring, new CTS pots are inexpensive and diagrams are readily available online. New strings ....
 
#13
Although I wouldn't have had a problem with cutting it and painting it before (I won't now), I would've actually wanted to use it as a backup after all that. Nothing wrong with turning something into an art piece that still plays. But an attic is a cruel place for an instrument. They need to be loved. Make them purr.

As for what to do with it, I'm a bit bent. I intended to use it, even after the modifications I had mentioned (I'm not going to do it now). It feels good, and even just replacing the pots would make it a good, perfectly usable bass again. Just cleaning it as suggested would relieve some of the visual grossness.

But it also seems that someone knows more about it than I do. While I appreciate the beauty it once and could again have (as I noted that in the OP), I don't have the time, money, or know-how for refinishing to make the wood finish look great again. I need to think on it, but passing it to someone who can make her good again might be the answer.
 
#14
FYI doing a refinish on any vintage bass unless someone has been there first and done a poor job of it will de value it, and is for the most part generally frowned upon.
Also a lot of people love the look of a worn bass. (google Fender roadworn)

That aside, there are quite a few things I can see that your bass would benefit from, some as mentioned above.

If you have patience and are willing to learn this would make a great first project, if not then you might consider selling it. (you could probably get between 100/150)

If you end up keeping it as a project understand that you are going to probably spend most of your time on this reading, watching how to videos, this thread ect...

In other words be prepared to do some home work and take your time if you want to be happy with it.
 
#16
What the hell is going on with those tuners?? It needs more than a tuner bushing.


This bass looks to be in decent condition. If you don't want to deal with straightening it out, put it on ebay. I promise you you'll get more than $20 for it.
 
#17
smcd said:
What the hell is going on with those tuners?? It needs more than a tuner bushing.


This bass looks to be in decent condition. If you don't want to deal with straightening it out, put it on ebay. I promise you you'll get more than $20 for it.
Click to expand...

There is no way those are original tuners. Basses never left the Matsumoko factory like that. They all overlap.

Cool bass. Needs new tuners.
 
#18
I would replace the hardware and pots and see what she sounds like with that pickup. Buzzing on frets 2 and 3 might mean the 4th fret is a bit loose and high - a small straight edge will tell you for sure. But like everyone else, I wouldn't paint or cut it up.
 
#19
Id be happy to drop more than 20 on that bass, looks great as is, I wouldnt worry about cutting or painting it, Id probally try and get it working. Maybe new pickups, it sounds like it needs new pots to. Than some flat wounds and I would just play it as is!
 
#20
The neck is straight. Possibly needs an adjustment to give it more relief and then lower the saddles for the buzz. Action is low. Pots are bad in spots, but it works on full.

If I swivel the knobs while using the switch, I can get it to work. The sound is close to a Fender with really dead strings on one setting, and like a Fender without punch on the other setting. That should mean the pickup is fine. Dad's '75 P was like this before he fixed the pots.
 

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